Former Christmas Island Administrator, Brian Lacy

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The asylum seeker boat tragedy off Christmas Island and the plight of the disaster's survivors have made deep impressions on the former Christmas Island Administrator, Brian Lacy. Brian Lacy reflects back on three years on the island.

With a background in the Australian Army, fluency in Malay and Indonesian, and a career as a barrister, Brian Lacy was the Federal Government's top public servant on Christmas Island.

When he commenced his post in 2009, Brian Lacy thought he'd be mostly concerned with tending to the social and economic issues on Christmas Island.

But he soon found himself witnessing the influx of refugees desperate to reach Christmas Island.